BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a California bird known to thousands of viewers through a Big Bear Valley nest livestream, died Aug. 10 after her health continued to worsen during more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the Ojai Raptor Center said.
The center identified the eagle as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The cause of her illness and death had not been announced.
What happened to Jackie?
Jackie was rescued July 17 by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team. She had reportedly been involved in a fight with two younger eagles near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake and was found weak and unable to fly.
The Ojai Raptor Center said initial bloodwork showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys. Anemia means the blood does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry sufficient oxygen through the body.
The center’s executive director, Chris Eksteen, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie unable to fly but did not explain the symptoms that led to her medical decline. He said the available information suggested she had been ill for some time before she was found.
Why were her blood levels important?
Veterinarians tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. The measurement shows the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells and is commonly used to monitor anemia.
The Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie’s PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3. It dropped below 6% on Aug. 8, then rose to 9% on Aug. 9. The center said it wanted the level to be above 30%.
Jackie received a blood transfusion, oxygen therapy and other supportive treatment. She was monitored around the clock in the center’s intensive care unit. The treatment team included nine veterinarians, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the center.
The center said her condition nevertheless continued to deteriorate despite treatment and consultations with specialists. “She remained critically ill,” the center said in an update, describing her overall condition as extremely serious.
What is still unknown?
The supplied medical updates do not include the results of diagnostic procedures reported during Jackie’s treatment, including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy. They also do not say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing will be conducted.
The Ojai Raptor Center said it planned to issue a more detailed statement about Jackie’s treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials. No timetable for those findings was provided.
Why did Jackie matter to the region?
Jackie was associated with a Big Bear Valley nest where she appeared with her longtime partner, Shadow. Livestream cameras connected to Friends of Big Bear Valley allowed viewers to follow the nest and the eagles’ activity.
Her death is significant to the local wildlife community and to the people who watched the nest, but the information available about Jackie concerns one bird’s medical case. No population-monitoring data or ecological research was provided that would connect her illness or death to a broader change in California’s bald eagle population or to a climate trend.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife now has custody of Jackie’s remains. Any findings from that agency or the federal wildlife service could provide more information about what caused her decline.
